Instagram Node

👉 learn about what is Flow Builder

You use the Instagram Node to:

• Send text messages
• Send images
• Send audio or video
• Display buttons and quick replies
• Show cards and galleries
• Combine content with dynamic user data

Every time a flow needs to communicate with a user, it does so through an Instagram Node.

The Instagram Node does not make decisions. It only delivers content. All logic must be handled before or after it using other nodes.

Blocks in the Instagram Node

The Instagram Node includes 6 different block types, and each block is designed for a specific type of message or content delivery.

In this section, you’ll find a short introduction to each block. In the following sections, each block is explained in full detail.

 Message Block: To send plain text content to the user. It is the most common block for delivering information, instructions, or conversational replies.

 Gallery Block : To display multiple cards in a horizontal scrollable format. It is useful for presenting products, services, or multiple options in a more visual way.

 Quick Reply Block: To offer users a set of predefined response options. It helps guide the conversation and lets users choose the next step with a single tap.

 Image Block: To send a single image to the user. It is useful for sharing product visuals, banners, illustrations, or other visual content.

 Video Block: To send a video file inside the conversation. It can be used for tutorials, demonstrations, promotional clips, or other video-based content.

 Audio Block: To send an audio file to the user. It is helpful for voice-based content, audio instructions, or other sound-based communication.

Block types: Message Block

Message block is used to send written content to the user. You can include Custom Fields such as Name, Phone number, Address, inside text messages.

You can:

• Write plain text
• Use line breaks
• Insert placeholders (Custom Fields dynamic data)
• Insert Emoji
• Use up to 3 buttons

Adding Buttons

Buttons provide structured actions users can tap.

This option is optional feature of Message Block

To add a button, click on the Add new button 

Two Options for Buttons: 

1. You can assign a URL to the button, which redirects the user to an external website or product page. In this case, the button displays a link icon in the Flow Chart view, indicating that it opens an external link. 
2. you can leave the button without a URL and connect it to the next node using the handler. In this case, clicking the button continues the flow along the defined path. In this case, clicking the button continues the flow along the defined path instead of opening an external page. In the Flow Chart view, this button is connected to the next node via a handler connection.

👉Learn more about Quick Reply and Button:
Quick Reply and Button

Using Placeholders & Dynamic User Data in Text Message

Placeholders allow you to insert dynamic user data (Saved Internal Fields and User Defined Fields) into messages.

Common examples:
First name, last name, email, city, custom answers, contest score and …

Example:

“Hi {{first_name}}, thanks for reaching out!”

To insert dynamic user data into your message, use placeholders.

Click the placeholder icon {} inside the message editor (highlighted in the image above).

When you click this icon, a dropdown panel opens showing all available fields, including:

• Internal Fields (such as first name, last name, email)
• User-defined Fields (Stored answers, scores, and other saved data)

You can use the search bar to quickly find the field you need.

👉Learn more about Custom Fields:
Custom Field Menu: Create and organize Fields
User Input Node: Ask a question and save a user’s response into a Custom Field.
Action Node: Is used to modify user data inside a flow (Set / Clear / Update)

Block types: Image, Video and audio blocks

These blocks are used to send images, videos or audio content to the user.

Image supported types: GIF, JPEG, PNG / Max size: 8MB

Video supported types: MP4, OGG, AVI, MOV, WEBM / Max size: 25MB

Audio supported types: AAC, M4A, WAV, MP4 / Max size: 25MB

Block types: Quick Replies Block

Quick Replies are tappable response buttons shown to the user under a message in Direct Messages.

How the Quick Reply block works

The Quick Reply block has two required parts:

1. Message text
   You must first enter a text message that explains what the user should choose.
2. Quick Reply buttons
   After the text, you can define up to 13 Quick Reply buttons.

Each Quick Reply button:

• Represents a predefined user choice
• Must be connected to a next node in the flow
• Determines how the flow continues after the user taps it

Important structural rules

• The Quick Reply block must always be the last block inside an Instagram Node
• A Quick Reply block cannot exist without message text

When to use Quick Replies

Quick Replies are useful when:

• You want to avoid free-text replies
• You want faster and clearer user interaction
• You want to guide users through predefined paths

Quick Reply behavior

Quick Replies:

• Are temporary
• Disappear after the user makes a selection
• Can only be used once per each Instagram Node
• Should be short, clear, and action-oriented

Block types: Gallery (Cards) Block

Cards are visual blocks that include:

• Image
• Title
• Subtitle
• Image link
• Optional buttons

Galleries allow you to display multiple cards in a horizontal scroll.

The Gallery allows you to display products or services in a horizontal, scrollable format.

Each item in a gallery is called a card, and you can add up to 10 cards per gallery.

Icon guide (numbers in the image)

1: Create a card manually
2: Add cards from Products Menu
3: Reorder cards
Use the left/right arrows to change the order of your gallery cards after you’ve added multiple cards.

4: Delete the selected card
Removes the currently selected card from the gallery.

5: Add an image
Uploads or replaces the image for the selected card.

6: Add a new button
Adds a button to the selected card (you can connect it to another step or set a URL).

Two ways to add cards to a Gallery:

Create cards manually

By clicking the plus (+) icon, you can create a card directly inside the flow by entering its title, subtitle, image and link.
If you add a link to the card, the user will be redirected to that URL when they click on the card image.

Add cards from Products

If you plan to reuse the same items across multiple flows, it is recommended to define them once in the Products section.
You can access the Products section from the main menu. (link to Products)
Instead of creating cards manually, click the Zoom In icon, then select existing products to add them to the gallery.

👉See more in: Products (Cards) Menu

Best practices for safe usage

• Do not send many messages back-to-back
• Use Delays between messages.
• Vary public comment replies using random canned messages
• Avoid aggressive follow-ups
• Test with real accounts before scaling

Common mistakes to avoid

• Sending multiple Instagram Nodes in a row without Delay
• Using the same reply for every comment
• Ignoring follower checks
• Sending DMs after Live comments without caution

Instagram Node Limitation for Comment-Based Triggers

After that first message, the limitation is removed only if the user creates a new interaction, such as sending a message, tapping a button, or selecting a Quick Reply.

For this reason, when one of these two Trigger types is used in Elpidan, the first Instagram Node after the Trigger should normally send a message that includes buttons or a Quick Reply block. The conversation should then continue through the handler of the selected button or Quick Reply.

This approach keeps the flow compliant with Instagram and Meta messaging rules.

Because of this restriction, the first Instagram Node used in a flow that starts with a comment-based Trigger works in a limited mode.

 ·         Message

·         Gallery

·         Quick Reply

The Gallery block is still available because gallery cards can also include buttons, which makes them suitable for creating the required user interaction.

In this limited mode, the Instagram Node is also displayed with a red border. This visual indicator shows that the node is under messaging restrictions and should be used carefully.

If you see the Instagram Node in this state, design the first step of the conversation so the user can interact immediately. Once the user replies, clicks a button, or selects a Quick Reply, the conversation can continue more freely.

👉Read the full How Comment-to-DM Flows Work Under Meta Limits guide